Method of and apparatus for operating booster-supplemented locomotives



Aug. 24 1926.

1,596,8?8 H. INGERSOLL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING BOOSTERSUPPLEMENTED LOCOMOTIVES Filed Dec. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. L.INGERSOLL METHOD OF AND ARPARATUS FOR OPERATING BOOSTER SUPPLEMENTEDLOCOMOTIVES Filed Dec. 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 24, 1 926.

EQWAED "i. INGERSOLL, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, BOOSTER- COMPANY, ACORPQRATION O! OPERATING BOOB MOTIVES.

Application filed December 2, 1822. Serial No. 604,468.

amrnon or AND arraaarus FOR to booster supplefor instance, as

This invention relates merited locomotives such, are illustrated inpatent to Howard L. Ingersoll No. 1,339,395, issued May 11th, 1920 5 andparticularly to an improved method of and apparatus for operating suchlocomotives.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means forcontrolling the booster t of a booster supplemented locomotive whichwill not in any way disturb, impair, change or modify the normalfunctions and methods of operating the locomotive itself.

Booster motors of the type contemplated herein and also as disclosed inthe above mentioned patent are intended to aid the main locomotive instarting and at slow speeds particularl up a long heavy grade. hey arepreferaly arranged to drive the wheels of a trailer truck which,although they carry considerable weight, normally are dead in so far asdevelopment of power is concerned. Trailer truck wheels are also of muchsmaller diameter than the main driving wheels and by arranging thebooster motor to drive thenli a very great increase pul certainpredetermined speed say for ex ample ten to twenty miles an hour. In thearran ement disclosed in the above mentione patent it was intended tooperate the booster motor only during such times as the reverse leverwas moved into the corner as it is colloquially expressed and immeuponhooking up or moving the reverse ever even so much as one notch awayfrom the corner it was intended that the 40 booster motor should be cutout.

It is the object of the present invention to emplo a method of and toprovide apparatus or the operation of a booster supplemented locomotivesuch that the main engines may be 0 rated ex ansively substantiallyduring t e period that the booster is supplementing them whereby steamwill be available for operation of the booster motor without exceedingthe boiler capacity so while at the same time the net tractive oftort isincreased.

More specifically stated it is an object of my invention to provide anew type of pilot valve, known as the reverse lever pilot i a f rcontroll ng the fl o fl d p nn-sorrnmmnm LOG0- sure to the boosterapparatus. nection it should be stated that I prefer to utilize airpressure in the control of the booster motor. I provide a pilot valvewhich is ada ted to be peued upon engagement witht e reverse lever orwith a part carried by the reverse .lever and one which and valve willfollow the reverse lever w tracted from a corner position. The detailsof construction however will be more clear from an inspection of theaccompanying drawin which illustrate the invention in its pro erred formand wherein Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustratmg my improvedbooster controlling mechanis'm; Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevationof the reverse lever of a locomotive with my invention associatedtherewith and illustrated in section; and Figure 3 is a section on theline 33 of Figure 2. I wish it to be understood that my invention in itsbroadest aspect could be incorporated for use in connection with someother moving part in the controlling mechanism for the locomotive, thereverse lever being chosen for illustration simply because it is thepreferred arrangement.

In Fi re 1 I have diagrammatically illustrated t he reverse lever 1 of alocomotive pivoted at 2 which is for swinging movelower end'of the rod 1extends to the mechanism, whatever it may be, for altering the valve cutoil for the main cylinders of the locomotive.

Within the dome 5 of the locomotive is located the usual main throttlevalve 6 and dry pipe 7 leading to the main 0 linder vs vs 0 ests. Thethrottle is operate in the usual manner from the cab (not shown) throughthe medium of the rod 8 and bell crank lever 9.

From the dome -5 there also extends the booster motor steam supply pipe10in which is located any suitable throttle valve 11 adapted to beopened when the lever 12, which is ivoted at 13, is rocked downwardly atits eft hand end in a manner hereinafter to be described. 1

The booster motor, of course, is not designed nor intended to run thlocomotive 110 In this conon it is replunger '18 of .structure indicatedasawhole by, the rep "it is intended to use the lit will be noted'thatin the operativeposition of the latch 14 the'cam surface 17 with.

by itself md I therefore prefer to arrange its controlling devices insuch manner that it will be im ssible to out in the'booster motor untilalter the main cylinders of the locomotive are in operation. I thereforeassociate the controlling mechanism for the booster motor with somemoving part of the controlling mechanism for the main locomotive, and Iprefer and-have shown it as associated with the reverse lover I eithemain locomotive as above stated.

When the engineman starts the main locomotive he movesthe reverse lever1 into the corner as it is colloquially expressed. llf hedesires thebooster motor tobe thrown into operation after steam has been admittedthrough the main throttle 6 he raises the latch or movable'element 14which is pivotally mounted upon the bolt 15 carried by the reverselever'to the position indicated in the drawin or element-14 1s Thenormal position booster motor is not to be "operated would be hangingdownwardly outof the path of parts-to be described later so that w onthe reverse lever were moved into the corner provided with the handle16.

there would be no effect upon the control- I ling mechanism for hebooster motor. The

position indicated in the drawings howeveris the position which itwould'occupy when booster motor,

which it is provided (see Fig; 3) en ages the the reverse lever p ctvalve erence character A, The cam surface 17 is ow the piston 30 ina'device known in this way the va vs 19 will be lrept seated and Y22 artas the booster entraining motor. 'The ;the valve 24 will be ke t mopenpositionbore 24 and obtained lrom any suitable" reservoir 26.

Snficeitto say that when rovided so that it is latch 14 by means ofaandle 16 even after the reverse lever may have been put all the we intothe corner. When the (plunger 18' is epreesed the valve 19 is seate (seeFi 2) and exhaust totheatmosphere throng art 20 out oil. Simul v couslyvalve 21 is iited from its seat so that fluid pressure, preferably air,can enter through the supply pipe 22 and pass outjthrough the distrluting pipe :23 through the medium of cham- The air pressure may berefore can Fluid operatin more the a reach valvular evice'Q'? throughconnecting pi e 28 and can also reach the chamber 29 however is notillustrated herein complmely and in detail for the reason that it iornieno part of the present invention. I the piston 30 is moved to' itsupperposition indicated in Fi re" 1 the booeterimotor is entrained thewheel or'axle of the locomotiveor other part which-itis ded to drive(Jonnec tion fi'ompipe 23 kinetic-through pipe 31.

valvular device 27 right hand side of t be moved toward the left or in adirection -to.

9' For'this urpose the latch gs 13 I the upperface of the for this latchwhen the 39 is then move fiossible to raise the mounted in a 'rant3. Thespring 1146 held in thecuprshaped recess 47 of the bracket urgestheihousing 44'together withits associated parts toward the reverselever';or in the direction 116 Poi the opening and Jon? the housing.verse lever is retracted-the entire reverse 11! :le'ver pilot valvemechanism will follow it "until such'time as'the upper-side of the oneanother but only in their functional relotion. v

From the foregoing it will be seen that air pressure has reached thechamber 32 in the which is known in this art as the dome pilot theengineman mani tle 6 steam pressure he conducted throufih ulates themain throtthe by-pass 33 to the e piston 34 which latter willthen seatthe. valve 35 and unseat 1 the valve 86, the valve-35 controlling simplya port to the atmosphere for purposes ofexhaustl Fluidoperating-pressure can now travel from the chamber 32 37 and from thencethrough the piston 39 in t dei- 40.,;-The piston l ipe 38 to throttleoperatin '0 pressure of the spring 41 and by '12 in a directionto thebooster throttle 11 Steemcan pass from the dome down through the pipe 10to the cylinders of not shown as th 7 as'the enginenian moves. backerrmgto re 2 particularly and also to' Figure 3 .it will be seen thatthe hous' 44' for the valvular devices above descri is slidabl bracket45 secured to the on -olo'sing' movements of the 'lunger 18, the spring46 bearing a inst the ower side of t e annular shoul or 48 44'.Therefore as the reannular shoulder is brought into contact with thesupportingabutmentl). In this in certain predetermine "of the reverselever;

the function of the pilot valve "is concerned. When the reverse lever ispulled be end the point at which abutment 48 wi engage abutment 49 valve19 will be opened and valve 21 closed thereby shutting oi the sup: 1

valve. Now as soon as cm the dry pipe 7 "will into the chamber 5 ebooster ownwardly against the means of the piston rod 42 pivotedat 43 tothe lever 12, it' rocks. said lever the booster moto QtOl. per se form'sno-part of the present invention," I v retracted positions v There is,therefore, a "certain'range of movement of'the reverse lever whichis-idle movementin'so far as it ply of fluid pressure to the boostermotor controlling apparatul.

n will be noted that the connections; 22" and 23 are flexible to' permitof the sliding movement of the valve housing 44 above described. A smalldepression or notch 50 is provided in the cam surface 17 so-thatafterfthebooster latch 14 has been ut in- Native position it will-be helunti forcibly withdrawn or until there 'verse leveris retracted.

to the cylinders of the booster motor.

By the foregoin arrangement it is ssible to operate the er motoreven won the reverse lever has what. In this way the main cylinders-of thelocomotive can be sively and still have the benefit of the boos-' termotors assista'ncewhich is of particu lar advantage on-long pulls as ithelps to mind. Normal locomotive requires the reverse lever aftercertain speed has been attained; The boiler is designed to havesuflicient capacity for v ime keeping positions of still obtain tor.

keep up the steam pressure in the'boiler and The invention herein maypossibly be bet ter understood and more t oroughly appre ciated if thefollowing facts be borne-in operation of an ordinary starting to be heldin the corner until a this purpose. 'In a locomotive of a 'gi type,however, supplemented by a booster such a procedure might drain thelllioiler eavy especially on long sowpulls up grades. I, therefore,propose to 00k u the reverse lever of a boostersupplement locomotiveprior to the time at which such step would normally .be

operation. he not result is a greater draw bar pull without draining ofthe boiler than The loss of would, otherwise be possible power incidentto working the main engines expansively is more than made up for by theadded tractive effort I claim: 7 1. A controlling device part in thecontrol main locomotive, a va ve juxtaposed tothe path of movement ofsaid movin art, and a member adapted to maintain e valvein open positionin certain predetermined the moving part includin a position in which Iopen there cut ed the supply of. operat- -be admitted.

ply and between the housing and the booster been hooked up someusingsteam expan-' with amoving anism for the pressure supply for the boostercontrolling mechanism, a valve for said su ply, a mov .-able'housin forsaid valve, said adapted toan the benefit of the booster en taken andallowit to work .explansively while at the same t e booster motor ineflective.

ver,

of the booster 'momechanism for the Y with; the

;-;er-'oontrolling mech supply normally yieldingly held-in closed steammthe main cy inposition, a housing for the-valve mounted ex pansively.

2. Controlling mechanism'forlocomotive booster motors comprising incombination with a moving art in the controllingmechanism for theocomotive, a valve ada ted to beopened by said moving partand old incertain thereof including locomotive is workin steamexpansi-vely.

-3. Controlling m anism for-locomotive er motors comprising incombination with amoving part 111 the controlling mechanism for thelocomotive, a source of fluid pressure supply for thebooster-controlling mechanism, a valve for said supply, amovablehousingfor said valve, and a flexible connection between thehousing and the supcontrolling mechanisny'said valve and housing under'movin -part.

ntrolling mechanism for locomotive booster motors comprising incombination art in the controlling mechoeomotive, a source of fluidvalve being 7 predetermined positions thereof, means urging the housingin a direction to kee means for the housing whereby may be'permitted toclose upon motors compnsm with the reverse lever an source of fluidpressure supply for the boostor controlling mechanism, 'supplyya housingfor vthe valve slidably mounted on the quadrant, said valve being openedby ement with. the reverse lemeans urging the housing with its valvethe'valve in open position, stop means for the eontrolof the aforesaid Iopened by said moving part a valve for said toward the reverse lever tomaintain predetermined positions Y a position in which the the valveopen in said predeterminedposn 4 10o on by said moving part of a posioneof the predeter- -5. Controllingmechanism for locomotive incombinationthe quadrant, a '1- the housing whereby the .valve may beper-' mitted to close; upon engagement of the housing with said stopmeans, and a connection between and supply.- f t '6.Controllingmeehanism for locomotive booster, motors comprising incombination reverse'lever and the quadrant, a soureeof fluid pressuresupply for the boost-L anism,

, h d flexible i 0 an booster eon. for booster 'moytrolling mechanismand "housings tors for locomotives comprising a moving Y a valve forsaid position,

on the quadrant for sliding movement in the direction of the opening andclosing of said valve, said valve being" opened by engagement with thereverse lever, means u ging the housing with its valve toward thereverse lever to maintain the valve in open stop means for the housingwhereby the valve may be permitted to close upon engagement of thehousing with said stop means, and a flexible connection between housingand booster controlling mechanism and betiveen'honsing and simply.

7. A controlling nieohnrto? :1 loromotive booster motor comprising ineombination with a moving part in the locomotive reversing mechanism, apilot valve for the booster system controlled by said moving part, andmeans permitting movement of 8. Controlling mechanism for locomotivebooster motors comprising in combination with a moving part in thecontrolling mechanism for the locomotive, a pilot means forv the boostercontrolling mechanism adapted to be actuated by said moving part and tobe maintained in actuated condition in eertain predetermined positionsof said moving part including a position in which the locomotive isworking steam expansively.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

HOWARD L. INGERSOLL;

